Dear Parishioners:
What a glorious time we had last weekend in the Diocese of Providence, and here at Our Lady of Mercy. Three fine young men were ordained priests for our diocese and our native son, Father Brian Morris, celebrated his First Mass of Thanksgiving here at OLM. Thankfully the weather cooperated and helped make for a beautiful two days. The Ordination Mass was solemn and majestic and many parishioners from OLM were in attendance. The newly ordained Fr. Morris did a fabulous job celebrating his First Mass.
Fr. Morris is to begin his priestly ministry as the Associate Pastor at St. Luke Church in Barrington and his classmates, Fr. Joseph Brice has been assigned to St. Augustine Church in Providence and Fr. Stephen Battey to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church in Bristol. Please pray for these new priests as they begin their service to the People of God. Fr. Morris was back at OLM on Monday to help with our OLM School Confessions and also on Friday to celebrate the Final OLM School Mass. It was a tremendous witness for our school children to see a young priest who studied at OLM School, served Mass at OLM and came to Mass at OLM return as a holy priest of God.
This Sunday we welcomeour OLM School 8th Grade to the 10:30am Mass. At the Mass we pray for them as they leave our parish school and enter the next chapter of life. Each one of the graduates receives the OLM School Medal at the Mass. After Mass the 8th Graders and their families join together with the OLM School Faculty for a Graduation Luncheon. At the luncheon the graduates receive their academic awards and honors.
The 8th Grade returns on Monday night at 6pm for their Graduation Ceremony. These twenty-four young men and women celebrate with their families, friends and faculty members, the end of their time at OLM School. All parishioners are invited to join us on Monday night for graduation. We congratulate the OLM 8th Grade and all those who graduate from school this year. We wish the Class of 2017 well as they end an important chapter in their young lives. May God bless them and may they continue to grow in faith, love and wisdom.
We offer this prayer for all those graduating this year: “Merciful Father, bless thisspecial day in the life of the graduates. As they embark on the next chapter in their lives we pray that Your hand that has kept them thus farcontinues to guide and lead them. May Your Almighty hand of protection be about them, and may Your Word continue to be a light unto their path. Help them to make wise decisions and to always keep You first in everything that they do.”
School ends at OLM on Friday, June 16th! It’s hard to believe that summer vacation is here already. The OLM School childrenput away their books and iPads, their pens and pencils, and their school uniforms. No doubt there will be many smiling faces in the OLM School Parking Lot on Friday afternoon! May God guide and protect the children and faculty of OLM School during the summer months. May it be a time of rest and relaxation and may they return in September healthy and happy. Schools out for the summer! Enjoy!
We are grateful to Mrs. Jill Hackett and her 3rd Grade OLM School Class who have just finished planting the OLM School Garden. It is located between the Mercy Convent and the Franciscan Convent. It is now full of tomatoes, peppers, sunflowers and chives! The OLM School 3rd Grade families have generously volunteered to water the garden throughout the summer. Of course, Sister Emma and Sister Lourdes have their own garden next to their convent. It is loaded with tomatoes, strawberries, peppers and cucumbers. I’ve asked the good sisters to try and grow tobacco and roll some cigars but they aren’t having any of it! May St. Francis guide and protect all our gardeners this summer. We look forward to the fruits of the harvest in the fall!
Next Sunday we celebrate the great feast of Corpus Christi, the Body and Blood of Christ. There is a Eucharistic Procession following the 10:30am so please join us as we mark this important Feast with great solemnity. Be well. Do good. God Bless. Go Sox!!